Crysis 2 dazzles with BlackFire lighting mod

Crysis 1 had so many graphics that running it on the highest settings became the dream of every mid-late 2000s system builder. Crysis 3 had moving ropes so advanced (read: poorly optimised ) that it tested even the most powerful of modern GPUs. But middle-child Crysis 2 never set the world - or graphics hardware - alight with its texture work. Luckily, modders have been all too happy to dose it with steady injections of pure pixels and effects. BlackFire's mod is a Crysis 2 lighting overhaul, designed to remove the smoky atmosphere of the vanilla game for a clearer and brighter experience.

"Vivid colors, detailed shadows, along with a redesigned lighting, makes BlackFire's Mod 2 one experience that you will not believe that your machine is capable of," claims the ModDB page. That's a bold statement - the creators have no idea what my machine is capable of. Near-crashing under the weight of all the page's comparison gifs, for one thing.

To really get the most of the mod, you'll want to install the excellent MaLDoHD texture pack , which the latest BlackFire update should now be 100% compatible with. There are two versions on offer, one that just features the BlackFire additions, and one that bundles in some extras - including the boastfully named Quality Mod, which adds Depth of Field, lens flair and other visual tweaks. Also there's a mod that adds a composite bow, thus bringing Crysis 2 in line with the Stealth Game Design Act of 2012 that mandated a bow and arrow in all games.